AMP Music Minute April 9th

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Nelly Furtado is going BIG for the first single of her fifth studio album The Spirit Indestructible with the new single “Big Hoops (Bigger the Better).” In addition to the new tunes, the Canadian singer/songwriter has just revealed the visuals to assist the new song.

In the video, Nelly rocks stilts and soars over the crowd as she infuses traditional Native American dances and splashes of color into her homage to big earrings.

The new album is scheduled for a June 19th release and will of course feature the lead single. This will be her fourth English language album. Her Third effort, Mi Plan, was released in 2009 was entirely in Spanish. Furtado is currently working on an entirely Portuguese album in addition to planning her tour for the immediate album.

Interestingly, one of the songs on the new album is inspired by the Tiger Woods cheating scandal and was casually referred to as “Elin’s Song” by the crew working on the song, the name of Tiger’s ex-wife. Girl power, maybe?

Make sure you watch until the very end. Let’s just say, Godzilla ain’t got nothing on her!

Check out the video right here!

Nelly Furtado- “Big Hoops (Bigger the Better)”

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Is Drake Dating Tyra Banks?-

The good folks over at DrizzyDrake.org were kind enough to release some pictures of Drake hanging out with America’s FIRST Top Model, Tyra Banks down in Anaheim at Disneyland in what looks to be a classic date situation.

Drake, who was wearing a blue Adidas track jacket and a fake mustache (?) was spotted riding rides and getting dessert and cracking up with Tyra Banks who also had a huge smile on her face.

Of course we think they are dating. Even if not seriously, we can see something going on between these two.

And we can totally see Drake with an older woman. His refined, sensitive rhymes are just what Tyra needs right now as she looks to find a new way to brand America’s Next Top Model, which just got rid of all of their judges.

The guys of Maroon 5 have been together for 10 years now, and while this is certainly a milestone and reason to celebrate, the group also wanted to take this time to go in a new direction.

Rolling Stone spoke to the band about their new album Overexposed, which promises to be their most dance-y and most “Pop” album to date. Their biggest single ever, “Moves Like Jagger” was also the first record that enlisted outside writers, which led to some apprehension about releasing it in the first place. “‘Jagger’ was almost a mistake,” says the band’s singer, Adam Levine. “I was scared to release it – but also turned on by that fear.”

In the end, it turned out to be one of the best decisions they could have made as a band. Not just because it was a huge hit, but because of the camaraderie it juiced back into the group. “It was the fresh injection we needed. We’ve been together a long time – it’s like a marriage, where we needed to get kinky in the bedroom,” continued Levine. Guitarist, James Valentine echoed Adam’s sentiment, “It actually has spiced up our marriage. I love you guys more now!”

The new marriage of Maroon 5 and conventional pop music avenues like outside songwriters and producers will be prevalent on the new album, due out June 26th. We already know about the dope collaboration with Wiz Khalifa in the single “Payphone,” but also expect a reggae-infused jam and more songs you can really move to.

Originally, the group avoided the bells and frills on the music industry, trying to focus more on their own ideas, but that is quickly changing and it’s not a bad thing at all. “Up to now, we’ve been insulated from the pop-industrial complex. We’ve been like, ‘F*** you, we’re a band.'” said Valentine “But now, stepping into this new world of songwriters and producers, it feels fun.”

For Adam and the rest of his band, they are looking to take it to the next level. If it isn’t scary at this point, it isn’t moving forward. “In a way, we’ve had a rebirth,” says Adam Levine. “It’s been 10 years since we started the band, when nobody knew what the hell to do with five white guys trying to sing soul music.”

“Now, we thought we should see where this goes – why not? We can’t keep doing the same thing forever. At this point, we want to be a little bit scared.”